Tag Archives: poll data

On February 26, the Global Health Technologies Coalition held a Capitol Hill briefing, “Renewing US leadership: Policies to advance global health research.” The briefing included displays from global health nonprofits, the launch of GHTC’s fourth annual policy report as well as a panel discussion. Panelists included Dr. Lee Hall, Chief of Parasitology and International Programs at NIAID, Dr. Alan Magill, Director of Malaria at the Gates Foundation and Dr. Caroline Ryan, Deputy Coordinator for Technical Leadership at PEPFAR. Each highlighted key U.S. contributions to global health including the development of a rapid TB diagnostic, advances in HIV/AIDS treatment and delivery through PEPFAR and a new treatment for leishmaniasis developed in part by researchers at the Department of Defense. Speakers pointed out that many of these medical breakthroughs were accomplished through leveraging U.S. government funding and working in public-private partnerships. All speakers expressed concern that cutting federal funding for global health research could jeopardize progress for these lifesaving tools.

In particular, Alan Magill warned of “breaking something that will be very difficult to put back together.” Speaker and moderator Lisa Cohen, Executive Director of the Washington Global Health Alliance, wrapped up the session citing Research!America poll data and reminding us that there is incredible support for this work – we just need to connect the dots for decision makers and funders. “78% of Americans think it is important to support global health research – we don’t think about this but when Americans are asked, it is clear that people care about these issues.”

It’s all over the news: The federal government is headed for significant, across-the-board budget cuts. Sequestration, or 10 years of automatic spending cuts, is a self-inflicted consequence passed by Congress, aimed to be a drastic outcome of failing to agree on a federal deficit-reduction package. Some Members of Congress argue that the sequester will not have a significant impact; they claim that the 5.1% cuts made in 2013 are only a drop in the bucket and there is no need to worry. However, the amount of money that the National Institutes of Health will lose, $1.56 billion, could fund the entire National Institute of Mental Health for more than a year. Cuts to the National Science Foundation total $359 million, more than 80% of the entire FY12 budget from NSF for homeland security research, including emergency planning and response. Research!America’s fact sheet on the effects of sequestration on these agencies, as well as the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control can be found here.

What will cuts to NIH, NSF and other agencies mean to biomedical and health research?

The NIH and NSF fund the basic science that fuels medical innovation and the health services research that enables smart policy making by all levels of government and by health care providers in support of high-quality health care delivery. The CDC funds an enormous range of research and public health services essential to the basic health and safety of Americans. Cuts to these agencies will compromise medical progress, stymie deficit reduction and render it more difficult to reinvigorate our economy. Cuts to public health funding, which is already inadequate, will degrade the foundation for safe and healthy communities across our nation. In short, these cuts will have dramatic impact on the health of our nation. Polls commissioned by Research!America consistently show that Americans highly value medical research and would even pay higher taxes if they knew the dollars would be devoted to that research. And we will never bend the health care cost curve without medical research to overcome disabling and costly conditions like Alzheimer’s and health services research to identify and evaluate viable and patient-sensitive cost savings strategies.

Finally, cuts to funding for biomedical and health research jeopardize the product of years of investment in our nation’s research capabilities. Those investments have produced the most sophisticated and productive medical research enterprise in the world. If funding declines, so will opportunities for young scientists. So will the capacity for our nation’s researchers to break new ground. So will the pipeline that fuels private sector innovation and jobs.

Think about it: Advances in ongoing and promising medical research will invariably be halted due to a lack of funds for these projects. One such project is ongoing research at Georgetown’s Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC. There, researchers have worked for years on a preventative strategy for breast cancer focused on anti-estrogen treatment, and this work is ready to move into clinical trials. Without funding, this lifesaving research could be halted. A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the frequency of metastatic breast cancer is on the rise in young women, a troubling trend in light of the threat to biomedical and health research funding.

So what can we do?

Contact your representatives in Congress and tell them how important it is to STOP sequestration! Click here to send an email now.

New Poll Data Summary reveals concerns among Americans about medical progress even in tight fiscal environment

Alexandria, Va.–January 9, 2013– America Speaks, Volume 13, a compilation of public opinion polls commissioned by Research!America, features timely data about Americans’ views on issues related to biomedical and health research. A majority of Americans (72%) say the new Congress and the President should take action to expand medical research within the first 100 days of the 113th Congress. Public support for increased government spending on medical research holds particular relevance as Congress considers whether to further delay, eliminate or permit “sequestration,” a budget cutting process that – if it moves forward – would mean drastic cuts in funding for medical research.

“Americans will be looking closely at the actions of the new Congress to see whether lawmakers support policies that will accelerate research and scientific discovery,” said Research!America Chair John Edward Porter. “We’re on the brink of finding new treatments and cures for many deadly and debilitating illnesses. Congress must act to ensure that funding for research is sufficient to address current and emerging health threats.”

Most Americans believe accelerated investments in medical research should be a priority, yet nearly 60% say elected officials in Washington are not paying close attention to combating the many deadly diseases that afflict Americans. An overwhelming majority of Americans (83%) also believe that investing in medical innovation has a role in creating jobs and fueling the economy.

When asked about stagnant federal funding levels for research and the impact to science and technology, a wide majority (85%) said they were concerned.

Americans also expressed concerns about U.S. global competitiveness in the near future. Less than half (41%) believe the U.S. will be the world leader in science and technology in the year 2020. In addition, almost half (48%) do not believe the U.S. has the best health care system in the world.

“Consistently, our polls have shown that Americans value research and believe it’s part of the solution to what ails us,” said Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley. “The return on investment is demonstrated in medical breakthroughs that have made diseases that were considered a death sentence into treatable conditions.”

Twenty years ago, AIDS ranked as the number-one health concern among Americans. Since then, research has saved countless lives and continues to drive progress. The number one health concern in 2012 was the cost of health care.

Among notable highlights in the booklet:

78% of Americans believe that it is important that the U.S. work to improve health globally through research and innovation.

70% of Americans believe that the government should encourage science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) careers.

Nearly half (48%) believe government investment in health research for military veterans and service members is not enough.

66% of Americans are willing to share personal health information to advance medical research if appropriate privacy protections were used.

75% say it’s important to conduct research to eliminate health disparities.

Research!America began commissioning polls in 1992 in an effort to understand public support for medical, health and scientific research. The results of Research!America’s polls have proven invaluable to our alliance of member organizations and, in turn, to the fulfillment of our mission to make research to improve health a higher national priority. In response to growing usage and demand, Research!America has expanded its portfolio, which includes state, national and issue-specific polling. Poll data is available by request or at www.researchamerica.org.

Online polls are conducted with a sample size of 800-1,052 adults (age 18+) and a maximum theoretical sampling error of +/- 3.2%. Data are demographically representative of adult U.S. residents. Polling in this publication was conducted by Zogby Analytics and Charlton Research Company.

About Research America

Research!America is the nation’s largest nonprofit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Founded in 1989, Research!America is supported by member organizations representing 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.